The Museum of Real History
2019, Ivana Šáteková, Zoukak Theatre Group and Abduljabbar Alsuhili
Lecture-performance and mixed media installation
Lecture-performance within a totally-not-fake exhibition. The work explores conspiracy theories, mixing fiction and harsh truths to create a mass-paranoia-inducing alternative reality: is time-migration the REAL reason for violent European neo-fascism, violent jihadism, Trump's tweets and your stomach ache?!
The installation is laid out as a regular arts exhibition and showcases original art posing as scientific evidence, e.g. manipulated photos, fake maps, drawings, youtuber rants. These construct an incontestable and pseudohistoric parallel reality: one that presents ridiculous, sarcastic ideas about migration and time travel, and that exacerbates and ridicularizes the absurd conspiracy theories propagated by violent extremists (both ethnocentric and religious) to radicalize people and poison the public sphere with fear.
Curated and presented by a Yemeni refugee-artist-terrorist, these REAL conspiracy theories reveal themselves sensationally as an insult to society's collective intelligence. The work includes 3 dimensions: installation-exhibition, conspiracy theory workshop for local practitioners and audiences to develop their favourite cospiracy theories (e.g. chickpea industry is behind the syrian war to increase falafel consumption in the European market…), and performance by fake curator, with or without local workshop participants.
Lecture-performance within a totally-not-fake exhibition. The work explores conspiracy theories, mixing fiction and harsh truths to create a mass-paranoia-inducing alternative reality: is time-migration the REAL reason for violent European neo-fascism, violent jihadism, Trump's tweets and your stomach ache?!
The installation is laid out as a regular arts exhibition and showcases original art posing as scientific evidence, e.g. manipulated photos, fake maps, drawings, youtuber rants. These construct an incontestable and pseudohistoric parallel reality: one that presents ridiculous, sarcastic ideas about migration and time travel, and that exacerbates and ridicularizes the absurd conspiracy theories propagated by violent extremists (both ethnocentric and religious) to radicalize people and poison the public sphere with fear.
Curated and presented by a Yemeni refugee-artist-terrorist, these REAL conspiracy theories reveal themselves sensationally as an insult to society's collective intelligence. The work includes 3 dimensions: installation-exhibition, conspiracy theory workshop for local practitioners and audiences to develop their favourite cospiracy theories (e.g. chickpea industry is behind the syrian war to increase falafel consumption in the European market…), and performance by fake curator, with or without local workshop participants.
Ivana Šateková is a painter and new media artist, living and working in Bratislava, Slovakia. In her work, she searches for the form of current folklore and explores memory by connecting elements of comics and folk art, using humor and the pursuit of the absurd as a critical tool to point out different oddities of contemporary society. Ivana has exhibited her work in solo and group exhibitions in Slovakia, Czech Republic, Germany and Austria.
“Museum of Real History" was incubated at the Borderline Offensive artistic residency in Gothenburg & Tjörn, Sweden in 2018, in collaboration with the Nordic Watercolour Museum.
“Museum of Real History" was incubated at the Borderline Offensive artistic residency in Gothenburg & Tjörn, Sweden in 2018, in collaboration with the Nordic Watercolour Museum.
Abduljabbar Alsuhili is an actor and cultural activist from Sana'a Yemen, using his craft for social and political change and development of performing arts scene in Yemen. As part of the Rawabiit Cultural and Media foundation, he has produced plays, stand-up comedy, radio and TV shows. Abduljabbar was the first ICORN artist-in-refuge in Helsingborg, Sweden from 2016–2018, period during which he was part of several local artistic productions and projects.
“Museum of Real History" was incubated at the Borderline Offensive artistic residency in Gothenburg & Tjörn, Sweden in 2018, in collaboration with the Nordic Watercolour Museum.
“Museum of Real History" was incubated at the Borderline Offensive artistic residency in Gothenburg & Tjörn, Sweden in 2018, in collaboration with the Nordic Watercolour Museum.
Zoukak Theatre Company, based in Beirut, Lebanon, is an internationally-prized platform for theatrical creation and experimentation, a non-hierarchical structure dedicated to theatre practice as a social and political involvement, with a belief in theatre as a space for common reflection and in collectivity as a position against marginalizing systems. Omar Abi Azar is a theatre director and founding member of Zoukak Theatre Company. He was the dramaturge and director of several of Zoukak's performances that toured in various cities in the Middle East, Europe, the United States, South America, South Asia and Africa.
“Museum of Real History" was incubated at the Borderline Offensive artistic residency in Gothenburg & Tjörn, Sweden in 2018, in collaboration with the Nordic Watercolour Museum.
“Museum of Real History" was incubated at the Borderline Offensive artistic residency in Gothenburg & Tjörn, Sweden in 2018, in collaboration with the Nordic Watercolour Museum.
Targeted audience(s)
16+; can be presented at a gallery, museum, or theatre/performing arts festival.
Some of the contents might be appropriate for adult audiences only, depending on the contributions of workshop participants.
Some of the contents might be appropriate for adult audiences only, depending on the contributions of workshop participants.
Set-up
Indoor exhibition space, capacity for 50 to 60 persons;
Logistics require exhibition stands/walls and video projection technology. The lecture-performance requires the set-up of a (even if faux) vernissage with exhibition programme, cocktail catering, and local cultural event dissemination (press-release, inclusion in cultural agenda, etc.).
The workshop can take place in the same space of the exhibition and requires no technical set-up, just creative writing and drawing materials.
Logistics require exhibition stands/walls and video projection technology. The lecture-performance requires the set-up of a (even if faux) vernissage with exhibition programme, cocktail catering, and local cultural event dissemination (press-release, inclusion in cultural agenda, etc.).
The workshop can take place in the same space of the exhibition and requires no technical set-up, just creative writing and drawing materials.
Scenography
Inside and framed by the exhibition, with all artworks and costumes provided by the artists.
The lecture performance lasts for 40–70 min as part of the vernissage. How participants of the acting workshop are engaged in the lecture-performance, and what scenography that might require is agreed on location.
The lecture performance lasts for 40–70 min as part of the vernissage. How participants of the acting workshop are engaged in the lecture-performance, and what scenography that might require is agreed on location.
Budget
You:
That’s expensive!
Borderline OffenSive:
Costs like accomodation, catering, materials, even travel are variable and depend on what local deals you can make. So in the end your local budget can be higher or lower – the values suggested are indicators, as long as all items are provided. Except for artist remuneration – you can offer more, but never less than the artist's themselves have defined as fair.
You:
What do you greedy warmongers gain from all of this?
Borderline OffenSive:
The budget is calculated for #borderlineoffensive licensed, independent productions – in which you work directly with the artists without our mediation. It is only if you need help with production or project management that we talk about money for ourselves.
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The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
Borderline Offensive 2017-2020 is led by TILLT (SE), together with CZKD (RS), Keunstwurk (NL), House of Humour and Satire (BG), Creative Industry Kosice (SK), Center for Peace Studies (HR), Symbiosis (GR), and in cooperation with MitOst eV (DE), Anadolu Kültür (TK), Zoukak Theatre Association (LB), Ettijahat - Independent Culture (SY) and Ramallah Municipality (PS).
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You can share content from this site for non-commercial purposes by referring to the source.